Browsing by Author "Gaynes, Bradley N"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Estimating the effect of anticipated depression treatment-related stigma on depression remission among people with noncommunicable diseases and depressive symptoms in Malawi.
    (PloS one, 2023-01) Dussault, Josée M; Zimba, Chifundo; Akello, Harriet; Stockton, Melissa; Hill, Sherika; Aiello, Allison E; Keil, Alexander; Gaynes, Bradley N; Udedi, Michael; Pence, Brian W

    Purpose

    While mental health stigma research is sparse in Malawi, research in other settings suggests that stigma represents a barrier to mental health treatment and recovery. Accordingly, we conducted an analysis to understand the role of treatment-related stigma in depression care in Malawi by estimating the effect of patients' baseline anticipated treatment-related stigma on their 3-month probability of depression remission when newly identified with depression.

    Methods

    We conducted depression screening and treatment at 10 noncommunicable disease (NCD) clinics across Malawi from April 2019 through December 2021. Eligible cohort participants were 18-65 years with depressive symptoms indicated by a PHQ-9 score ≥5. Questionnaires at the baseline and 3-month interviews included a vignette-based quantitative stigma instrument that measured treatment-related stigma, i.e., concerns about external stigma because of receiving depression treatment. Using inverse probability weighting to adjust for confounding and multiple imputation to account for missing data, this analysis relates participants' baseline levels of anticipated treatment stigma to the 3-month probability of achieving depression remission (i.e., PHQ-9 score < 5).

    Results

    Of 743 included participants, 273 (37%) achieved depression remission by their 3-month interview. The probability of achieving depression remission at the 3-month interview among participants with high anticipated treatment stigma (0.31; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.23, 0.39)) was 10 percentage points lower than among the low/neutral stigma group (risk: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.36, 0.45; RD: -0.10; 95% CI: -0.19, -0.003).

    Conclusion

    In Malawi, a reduction in anticipated depression treatment-related stigma among NCD patients initiating depression treatment could improve depression outcomes. Further investigation is necessary to understand the modes by which stigma can be successfully reduced to improve mental health outcomes and quality of life among people living with depression.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Clusters in Surrogate Decision Makers of Patients Experiencing Chronic Critical Illness.
    (Critical care explorations, 2022-03) Wendlandt, Blair; Ceppe, Agathe; Gaynes, Bradley N; Cox, Christopher E; Hanson, Laura C; Nelson, Judith E; Carson, Shannon S
    Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common among surrogate decision makers of patients with chronic critical illness (CCI). PTSD symptoms can be categorized into clusters including intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal, each of which has been associated with distinct outcomes and treatment responses. Our objective was to determine which symptom cluster was predominant among surrogates of patients with CCI.

    Design

    Secondary analysis of data from a clinical trial of a communication intervention.

    Setting

    The original trial was conducted in medical intensive care units at three tertiary-care centers and one community hospital.

    Patients

    Patients with CCI (≥7 d of mechanical ventilation and not expected to die or to be weaned from the ventilator in the subsequent 72 hr) and their surrogates.

    Interventions

    None.

    Measurements and main results

    Surrogate PTSD symptoms were measured 90 days after onset of patient CCI using the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R). The IES-R includes a total score (range, 0-88, higher scores indicate severe symptoms) as well as three subscales that assess intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal (range of intrusion and avoidance scores 0-32 and range of hyperarousal score 0-24). Intrusion symptoms were most severe (mean score, 10.3; 95% CI, 9.3-11.2), followed by avoidance (mean score, 8.0; 95% CI, 7.2-8.8). Hyperarousal symptoms were lowest (mean score, 5.1; 95% CI, 4.5-5.7). In a multivariable linear regression model, we found that surrogates of patients who died had higher odds of intrusion (β, 5.52; p < 0.0001) and avoidance (β, 3.29; p = 0.001) symptoms than surrogates of patients who lived, even after adjusting for baseline symptoms of anxiety and depression. Patient death was not associated with hyperarousal symptoms.

    Conclusions

    Intrusive thoughts are the most severe PTSD symptom in surrogates of patients experiencing CCI, with intensified symptoms among surrogates of patients who died. These results have the potential to inform tailored treatment strategies to reduce PTSD symptoms in this population.